TASS: Three Russian Seafarers Injured in U.S. Airstrike on Ras Isa
The U.S. airstrike on the Houthi-controlled port of Ras Isa on April 18 was intended to hit energy infrastructure, but the massive blasts also killed 70-80 people and injured about 170 more, according to Houthi-controlled media. Three of the injured people appear to have been Russian seafarers who were working aboard a foreign-flagged product tanker; the vessel reportedly called at Ras Isa despite the U.S. State Department's warning that all ships should cease trading at Houthi-controlled ports.
The vessel in question was the 54,000 dwt product tanker Seven Pearls. Flagged in St. Kitts and owned anonymously in Liberia, the aging Seven Pearls has a history of port calls in Houthi territory. Over the past year, she has regularly traded between the UAE, Djibouti, and Houthi areas of Yemen, interrupted by a three-month detour to the Mediterranean and the Black Sea.
Seven Pearls' AIS history, April 2024-March 2025 (Pole Star)
Seven Pearls' AIS signature has not been detected by commercial AIS services in more than a month, and her last transmission put her in the vicinity of the Suez Canal. However, she was present at Ras Isa during the American airstrike, Russian charge d'affaires in Yemen Yevgeny Kudrov told TASS.
According to Kudrov, three Seafarers from Seven Pearls were injured in the attack. As of April 29, one of them remains hospitalized and may require surgery for a serious eye injury, Kudrov said. "According to our data, their lives are not in danger," he said. The ship and the remaining 19 crewmembers are moored "at a safe distance" from Yemen's coast, according to Kudrov.
Houthi representatives have named the Russian victims as Roman Kashpor, Igor Kazachenko and Artyom Vanin.
Seven Pearls' location could not be immediately confirmed because of the lack of AIS data; however, bystander videos show that at least one vessel was alongside at the port's piers during the strike, and satellite photos confirm that merchant tankers were present before and after. (The hijacked car carrier Galaxy Leader is also visible in the footage.)
#BREAKING Footage recorded by Turkish personnel from the MT PALM Oil Tanker while the U.S. was bombing the Ras Isa port of Yemen. pic.twitter.com/kFlNbAEUs1
— The Global Monitor (@theglobal4u) April 28, 2025
April 17th, Turkish Navy film air strikes from the US Navy and USAF on the Houthi controlled Ras Isa Oil Port in Western Yemen. Reports that the bombing included strikes from B-2's based out of Garcia. pic.twitter.com/V3cirZss6H
— Globe Sentinel (@GlobeSentinels) April 28, 2025
The Trump administration had previously warned that it would penalize any vessels that continued to serve Houthi trading interests. "The United States will not tolerate any country or commercial entity providing support to foreign terrorist organizations, such as the Houthis, including offloading ships and provisioning oil at Houthi-controlled ports," a State Department spokesperson said on April 9.
As of April 28, multiple foreign vessels remained at Ras Isa, according to the House Foreign Affairs Committee (below).
Any captain, crew, insurer, or facilitator engaged in the offloading of oil products at any Houthi-controlled port, including Ras Isa, will be treated as a direct target for sanctions by the United States government.
— House Foreign Affairs Committee Majority (@HouseForeignGOP) April 28, 2025
Leave now or suffer the consequences. pic.twitter.com/PKaTO1j72f
Report: Houthis are Detaining and Threatening Vessels in Ras Isa Port
Multiple reports are coming from Yemen that the Houthis have been denying permission for vessels to depart the Ras Isa port complex in the two weeks since U.S. forces attacked the oil terminal facilities. The UK Maritime Trade Operations which monitor the region said today that it has been able to validate the reports.
An unspecified number of vessels are in the anchorage at Ras Isa with AIS signals appearing to show at least a dozen tankers and several bulkers. Both Russian and Turkish diplomatic sources acknowledged that they had vessels near the port when the U.S. forces struck on the night of April 17-18. The U.S. Treasury Department as part of its sanctions' announcement this week named three vessels that had violated the expiration of permits and had unloaded petroleum products in the Houthi-controlled port.
UKMTO has validated reports that vessels in the anchorage have been denied permission to leave despite having UNVIM (UN Verification and Inspection Mechanism for Yemen) clearance. The UN verifies that vessels are not carrying armaments or other weaponry to aid the Houthis.
According to the reports local authorities have demanded that some vessels move from the anchorage into the port and berth. There are reports of threats of violence and in at least one instance UKMTO is saying warning shots were fired. Other vessels are reported to have been boarded by armed personnel.
“These reported incidents reinforce the threat to vessels visiting Houthi-controlled ports,” writes UKMTO. It warns that the ships are “likely to be held or restricted from safely departing.”
Martin Kelly, Head of Advisory at EOS Risk Group, explains, "There are several motivations to the Houthis not allowing ships to depart including using commercial shipping as a deterrent against US, UK and Israeli airstrikes. Moreover, ships seen to be fleeing ports demonstrates the Houthi inability to defend its port infrastructure which is could be seen as undermining Houthi ability."
The April strikes on the oil terminal the Houthis contend killed 74 people and injured at least 171 others, according to the Ministry of Health.
Yesterday, April 30, the Russian Embassy in Yemen issued a statement confirming that a product tanker named Seven Pearls (53,714 dwt) was in the Ras Isa anchorage. The vessel which is registered in St. Kitts and Nevis reportedly suffered minor damage during the U.S. bombing. The Embassy said one crewmember is in a hospital and requires complex eye surgery while two other Russian citizens were slightly injured but in stable condition.
It said that 19 Russian crewmembers remain aboard the ship. The Embassy said the ship’s owner was working to evacuate the injured seafarers and remove the ship from Yemen.
Turkey’s Foreign Ministry also reported that a Turkish-managed LPG Carrier, St. Oslo (29,121 dwt) is being detained in the port awaiting permission to depart from the Yemini port authorities. The ship which is registered in Panama is reported to have 17 Turkish sailors onboard.
Another unconfirmed Turkish media report said an unnamed fuel tanker operated by a Turkish company sustained minor damage while it was in the port unloading. It is said to have four Turks including the captain and 22 Indian crewmembers aboard. The media report said the ship attempted to leave the port but was denied permission by the group controlling the terminal. They said no vessels at the terminal were being allowed to leave following the air strike. Ships they said were directed to wait in a designated area.
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